If Only
by Screening kills
Summary: NejiTen Tenten centered. Neji and I had been dating for over a year and now he breaks up with me for the medic nin in our ANBU squad, Sakura... ON HOLD ...possible OOCness. R
1. A New Mask

**DISCLAIMER: Don't Own Naruto, sucks for me**

**I SAW MANY OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS USING THIS STYLE OF WRITING AND I HOPE THAT I AM ABLE TO SAY THAT I SUCCEEDED IN USING IT. THIS STORY IS DEDICATED TO ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE AUTHORS: naash. I HOPE YOU LIKE IT. AND THIS IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE THE MY FIRST STORY THAT IS'NT A ONESHOT. BUT ONLY IF I HAVE PEOPLE TELLING ME WHAT THEY THINK.**

_Chapter One: A New mask_

_RRRIIINnnnng!_

I sighed when I woke up and pushed the snooze button on my bedside alarm clock. I felt so tired, yet it felt like I'd been sleeping forever. When I looked at the time, it was 4:00 pm. I slowly got up, trudged to the bathroom and glanced at the mirror. It was a habit – a routine. It was always the first thing I did when I woke up.

I looked up at my reflection and was surprised to see a stranger staring back at me. She was different from what I remembered. Yesterday, I'd seen a girl with rosy cheeks and hazel eyes filled with jubilation. Today, however, I couldn't remember who she was, or rather who I was. I was a whole different person – my old self a distant memory. My skin was pallid and I had dark circles underneath my eyes, my hair was in disarray as well not restricted in the usual twin buns.

I sighed again, weary with life. It still struck me funny, in a sick way, how, in one day, so much could change.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

_I finally managed to fall into slumber, when five minutes later; I was awoken by a light tap on my glass window. With the alertness of a ninja, I sprang out of bed without a moment's hesitation and grabbed my scrolls. You know, my weapons scrolls. _

_As I carefully made my way to the window, I made to tuck the scroll away into one of the many pockets of my baggy jeans and replaced them with a single kunai. I reached the window and paused, holding the kunai knife in a ready position in front of me. _

_I quickly unlocked the window and swung it open, drawing my hand (the one with the kunai) back to increase the force and speed it could retain when needed. But when I saw who it was, surprise was etched on my face and I could not help but stand there like a statue. I continued to stare at the figure outside the window, which at the moment jumped and landed gracefully at my window sill._

_Rock Lee had a look of urgency on his face._

"_Lee? What are you doing here?" I asked, a little peeved that I was awaken. However, I took one glance at his expression and I knew something was wrong. "Lee, what's the matter? You look upset." I knew his presence here was not for some idle chat because, one, it was about 1:30 in the morning, and two, Rock Lee would never pop by my place with that look engraved on his usually 'youthful' features._

"_Tenten." He gave a curt nod before continuing. "Do not worry, my flower. Nothing is the matter; it is just that our teammate, Neji, requested that I give you this note. He said it was important and knew that I would pass by your house." He thrust an envelope into her hand. "Here you go. I have not read it. Do not worry."_

"_Thank you, Lee. I would have trusted you with this letter, anyway." I gave him a smile and he flashed a grin that almost blinded me. He turned his back to me signifying the end of his visit. "Oh… And Lee? One more question…"_

"_Yes, my fair blossom?"_

"_Why didn't you just come through the door? Why the window?" I hid my amusement, knowing very well that he had no reason, really, for his actions._

_Lee sweat dropped. "Ehhh…I…I-It's cool, that's why!" He leapt out from the window sill. I stuck my head out and gave a heart-felt laughter. Lee was the best. But still…I couldn't shake off the feeling that the note was not the only thing that brought him here. I knew that he wanted to tell me something else but then thought better of it and kept his mouth shut._

_I looked back at the envelope that I had unknowingly dropped on my bed. I tore the letter open and read the contents._

_Dearest Tenten,_

_Iwis htom eety ouat ther amen shop inth_

_ecen tero ftow niex pect you tobe ther eatt welv eocl _

_ockn oonp leas emak esur eyou reth erei have _

_some thin gimp orta ntto disc ussw ithy _

_ouiw illa wait your arri val._

_Neji Hyuuga _

_It was in the same code that we always used in our private messages. It was also the reason I did not care if Lee had read it. He would not have understood it. The words were there, but they were grouped into fours, so if you read across it would still read the same. _

_If translated, the note said, "I wish to meet you at the ramen shop in the center of town. I expect you to be there at twelve o'clock noon. Please make sure you're there. I have something important to discuss with you. I will wait for your arrival."_

_At that moment, several thoughts came into my mind at once. What if Neji was finally going to ask her hand in marriage? What if?... What if he was going to give her a gift to show his love? I didn't think, at the moment, about the negative outcomes. _

_I jumped into bed and quickly fell asleep, thinking that the day could not come sooner. But come it did…too soon_

_oOoOoOoO_

_I brushed my bangs away from my face. I was waiting for Neji to arrive at the local ramen shop, Ichiraku's. and he was already a half an hour late. It wasn't like him. He was usually punctual. I was getting nervous and a million possibilities for his tardiness aroused in my head. Maybe he was in an accident or maybe he had forgotten?_

_I was scared. What if something had happened to him on his way here? What if he's angry with me? What if…? I was about to get up and walk out of the shop in my anxious state when I saw Neji. With Sakura. They were holding hands._

_I was confused; my eyes round at their close proximity. They were too close to my liking. All I could do was stare at the two as I was rendered speechless and that was when I caught Neji's eye. He met my gaze, the smile on his face fading, and walked over to where I was. Sakura's smile, too, melted off her face as she started to follow Neji's lead. He stopped in front of me with Sakura behind him. I was no longer the most cheerful kunoichi of the Leaf; I was staring at them with suspicion lining every inch of my face and later I found that I was right. _

_Never had I wanted to be so wrong in my whole life. yay…I like this sentence too_

"_Tenten, I meant to tell you earlier. I just hadn't the time," Neji stopped for a minute and looked down. His eyes were distant and he took a deep breath to steady his wavering voice. "I and Sakura…we're…together…And I…you…we're…not. I am sorry."_

_This must have been what Lee wanted to tell me. That he'd seen Neji and Sakura together._

_At that moment I just froze. I wanted to shatter into a million pieces and more than anything, I wanted to hurt Neji. I had never felt that feeling before. Everything before my eyes turned into a haze as the tears came. 'No, Tenten. You can not cry. Not in front of him_.' _Neji was breaking up with me._ _I told myself to find strength but it wasn't helping me. _

_I don't understand. I gave him everything. Or at least I tried my best to. Apparently, though, it wasn't good enough for him. I love Neji with my heart and now, with nothing but a few words and a corny apology, he was walking away with another girl. Before my very eyes._

_I wondered if he knew how much it pained me inside, seeing his back turned away from me._

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

I tore my eyes away from the mirror. It reflected my despair that I would like to forget. As I searched around my too-small bathroom for a brush to comb my hair, I caught the glimpse of a kunai. _Oh shit! I forgot! The ANBU mission briefing…I am going to miss it! _

…

Last year, I had become an ANBU along with my former teammates, Neji and Rock Lee. The test had been pretty simple to comprehend but not the easiest we'd had. The mission was tough and challenging.

They (current ANBU who refused to reveal their identities) gave us an A-rank mission that seemed suitable only for ANBU to complete.

If we failed in our mission we failed the test. If we died, we failed the test (duh.) and were to be held responsible for our own death. And if by chance, we survived and managed to complete the task, we were deemed as honorary ANBU members.

Our mission was to find two missing-nins and return them to the Leaf village alive…or dead. The battle was brutal but short, both missing ninja were more skilled than I, but Neji and Lee made up for what I had lacked, which wasn't really a lot. We had a medic nin with us, Sakura, and she managed to paralyze the two nin after Neji, Lee, and I had dealt with them.

When we had returned to the village, I entered first to see what the reaction would be if we returned empty-handed. No one seemed surprised; none of them even seemed to flinch…it wasn't as if I could tell, though. They were wearing masks. Duh.

That was when Neji, Lee and Sakura made their entrance, the two males supporting the two bodies of the ninja. That was when the mutterings ensued. I smiled. "Mission accomplished!"

…

In haste, I showered and then dressed myself in my ANBU uniform. I ran out of door with everything I needed. For once, I felt I could not trust Neji even with the smallest things now. It pained me to feel this way.

«§§§»

I ran along the village roads, constantly having to jump on a tree branch to avoid slamming into a civilian. With just minutes to spare, I reached the ANBU office. The office was located at the edge of town and apparently had an Illusion technique cast on it. However, all current ANBU's where immune to it as we were not easily deceived.

As I whizzed through the narrow hallways of the large dome-shaped building, many greetings from fellow ninjas found their way to my ears and I answered back politely before I reached a large door at the end of the hallway. I paused, took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

The heads of my colleagues rose to look at me and I dove into a string of explanations, being careful not to look at Neji.

"I'm really sorry; it wasn't my fault––"

"Yes, Tenten, I under––"

"You see, I had a lot on my mind and…" I kept blabbering before Lee came up and covered my mouth with his hands.

"Tenten, my fair blossom. Let us listen to the mission briefing first. Then, state the reason of your lateness." Lee stated.

I opened my mouth to say something else but closed it and nodded. "Of course."

Our squad leader never spoke to us with his mask on. I liked that about him. He was a large man with two thin scars on his face. Our squad was part of Konoha's Torture and Interrogation Force. We tortured our enemies, not killing them unless necessary, until they revealed certain information to us that we deemed necessary for the safety of our village.

He gave me one of his rare crinkly-eyed smiles that he usually saved for me alone. We had grown to be close during the two weeks of training that I had asked him for to help me with mastering my basic techniques and my secret, Sōshōryū No Jutsu (Twin Dragon Rising), technique.

It was this smile that Sakura would get ticked off about. I guess she was used to being the teacher's-pet. Now as I thought of this, I smirked secretly but then slapped myself mentally.

It wasn't her fault she liked Neji; she couldn't help it…I would know. I had to stop treating her this way and live with the fact that her and my ex were now together. (A/N: This small passage was very random but it's like a filler arc of a sort, so deal with it.)

"Don't worry, Tenten. I had not started the briefing yet. I waited for you. I knew you had something important; you would never be late, otherwise. Anyways," He sighed and looked down at the details of the mission they were going to be given. "The mission that you are assigned is very similar to the one that you had on the day you were recruited for this squadron. Yet, this one is S-ranked as opposed to A. There are two missing ninja from our village, currently residing in the former land of Rice Fields, now known as the sound village. Orochimaru himself however, is being dealt with personally, by Tsunade over in Sunagakure No Sato, so you have no need to worry about him."

"There are actually, at the moment, a few more ninja at that same location that will most likely want to fight you. We, however, cannot send more ninja into that region because of other S-ranked missions that need more attention, so you are on your own."

He finished speaking, giving us the rest of details, his eyes glazing over at the ninjas under his command. We nodded, understanding the objective of the mission. He wished us good luck and gave us the coordinates to the location in which the targets could be found.

"Bring them back dead or alive. You are dismissed." He turned away from us and we disappeared in a puff of smoke.

«§§§»

Four members of the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force stood at the edge of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, where an extremely thin forest range stood in the way to their destination. One of them was me.

I could tell that Neji, too, was trying to avoid looking at me as best as possible but this could only put our mission in danger. He knew that I was best in our squad when it came to ambush and interrogation.

"Neji, what are the coordinates of our targets? Can you pinpoint the exact location?"

Neji turned to Lee and gave a brief nod. "A small city by the name of Aki. That's where we should head. Akindo Sai and Katagi Sai, our targets, were last sighted there. That's 33.30N and 133.54E."

I opened a map and searched for the coordinates. "It's the forest range that separates Hi No Kuni from Oto No Kuni. We'll most likely find them closer to the Sound village, as most ninjas find escape in that village. What do you think?" I asked, glancing at Lee, Neji and Sakura.

Lee nodded. "I trust in your opinion, Tenten." He turned towards the other two, Neji and Sakura, who had remained quiet. It was natural for Neji but Sakura was never this quiet. I guess it had something to do with my break up and her hook up with Neji. I sighed.

"We ought to go. We can't waste time or we'll need another update on the Sai brothers' coordinates. And this time, it probably wouldn't be within range of the Byakugan."

I got a vigorous nod from Lee and Neji returned a curt one. I didn't get a response from Sakura but I didn't care about that at the moment. I dove into the forest ahead and heard the sound of three other ninjas follow me from behind.

«§§§»

After a few minutes of running through the dense forest, I hurtled to a fluid stop and the others stopped in front of me, unable to stop so suddenly, with the exception of Neji, who had halted a few feet behind me.

"This is it." I muttered but I knew they heard every word. "This is where they ought to be. I am certain…but…where are they?"

I was interrupted at that very moment by the sound of leaves rustling in the breeze. I turned towards the sound and threw a couple of shuriken in the direction of the movements. I heard the metallic-ish sound of weapons making contact with a solid object in the distant.

I waited. Nothing moved and for a moment I thought it had been my imagination. Suddenly, a heavy body of a large man fell out of the tree with a shuriken just at the hollow base of his neck. I walked towards the body and felt his pulse.

"He's dead."

We all just stood for a moment staring at the body. Then, Neji spoke.

"We should split u––"

He didn't have a chance to finish speaking before another forty or fifty ninja came into the clearing. _Hmmm…_according to the images that Ibiki-san had given us, the blue-mohawked ninja (Akindo) and the red-haired ninja(Katagi) were coming straight at…Me.

I jumped back several feet and hurriedly pulled out my scrolls, biting my thumb.

The blood sacrifice was necessary for this technique. I threw open the scrolls and offered my blood. Several kunai, shuriken and other weapons were summoned and I sent them all flying towards the band of ninja making their way towards us. I took several ninja down with just that one attack, and as I was so accustomed to using this art, I was able to maintain my chakra level.

However, I could not stop there. I saw, out of the corner of my eye that my other three squad members had chosen their opponents and were having countless duels with countless ninja. I made the necessary hand signs for another jutsu that I found helpful. _Bakuretsu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_

Several of my shadow clones appeared and I managed to maneuver them away from my teammates. I watched from the shadows of the trees as my clones took out several more ninja.

Then, the clones started to explode. I watched on, amused, as the first of my suicidal clones burst into a bomb of fire and took out the numerous ninja surrounding it. Lee stopped completely, fascinated by the exploding, masked Tenten. His opponent, too, had stopped and turned to watch, but fearfully.

Slowly, my other _bunshins, _my clones, started to disappear, always taking countless ninja with them. In the last few minutes of the fight only three ninja were left, two being the missing-nin we were after.

Neji was dealing with those two at the moment, as I could see from my perch in the tree. I saw the last charging towards Neji.

These were ninja who had fully embraced the way of the shinobi; they cared not for the safety of their companions. I knew this but it still sickened me how they use sneak tactics in such an unfair way.

I quickly poofed off the tree branch only to appear in front of the ninja that was heading towards Neji.

"AND WHERE DO YOU THINK YOUR GOING?!" With speed that I did not believe I actually possessed, I chucked a kunai at the ninja. From what I noticed by the way he fell, it had pierced his heart. I felt satisfied as I gave the corpse a once-over. I sighed and turned to look at Neji. He had Akindo and Katagi Sai trapped against a tree and was ultimately shutting off their main chakra points. He looked at me briefly and quickly turned away, giving his attention to the two evil ninja.

In a low voice, but loud enough as so I could hear, Neji said. "We ought to get back. This mission has been a success, Ibiki-san would be glad. These two, however, need not live….it'll only slow down our arrival back home."

"I don't think that's necessary. Do not take their lives if it is not needed. Lee and I can carry the bodies if you are too tired.

Through the mask, his eyes flashed white. "I am sorry, Tenten-san, if I have offended you. I do not need your help. I shall take the body instead."

I was confused. Since when was I Tenten-_san?_ I pursed my lips and nodded, before dashing back the way I had come, removing my mask to reveal to the others what I had underneath. My skin.

**SO, THEN, WHAT DID YOU GUYS THINK? I WAS TOLD THA IN MY OTHER STORY, SITTING IN A TREE, MY PLOT SEQUENCE TOO RUSHED. I HAVE TRIED MY BEST TO SLOW IT DOWN AND HOPE FOR SUCCESS. PLEASE REVIEW; EVEN IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A ACCOUNT, I AM OPEN FOR ANONYMOUS REVIEWS. GOOD DAY, MY FAIR PEOPLE!**


	2. Coincident

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto…-snivels-

WARNING: Evil OOC-ness can be noted in Rock Lee. He's evil. Don't like, don't flame.

Chapter 2: Coincidence. 

Coincidence…

I hate that word. They say that everything in the world has a reason for occurring but what about those events that are regarded as coincidental? Ah, well, this one word seems to describe my life perfectly.

Everything that seems to happen to me looks like a mere coincidence. My parents died when I was a child, killed in the fight against kyuubi. _Coincidence. _I was forced to live the life of a beggar until I met a kind male who offered me a job to pay off my tuition. _Coincidence. _I was almost killed as a Genin due to my weak abilities in the battle against a grass-nin of great renown. Hmmmm…another _coincidence. _Me, breaking up with Neji a few days ago. Also, a _coincidence._

And now, here I am lying in the Konoha hospital, almost beaten to death by Lee. Why? Because he was playing drunk bastard for the night… A coincidence, maybe? Pshh…

Lee had been drooling over Sakura for many years but she had always over-looked him. He had kept his emotions bottled inside for a long time. However, now I know that he was broken like I was when seeing Sakura with Neji. But still…Lee and I were closer than most siblings…Then, how did this happen? Why did he pummel me? Why do I have to pay the price for what actions I did not do? A sharp pain overwhelmed me suddenly and I declined my head to my bandaged limbs.

These wounds…

I stared at them as my eyes brimmed with tears. I could care less about the pain and the injury…but Lee…he would have to live with the fact that he'd hurt his friend…throughout his life. You must be thinking that it is strange…on how I feel pity for the one who had hurt me. But look at who it is… the kind, compassionate, over-helpful, ninja of the Leaf. Tears flowed down my cheeks as I tried to contain the sorrow that threatened to choke me.

Tsunade-sama appeared in front of me. What was she doing here? Not that I was complaining. I had never been important to anyone… So why? What was she doing here?

She held my gaze, noticing the fresh tears. "Tenten I know it hurts, but just hold on. Your wounds aren't so serious. You'll be healed in no time." I nodded but couldn't help but feel hurt as she had misinterpreted my tears.

No. Not one of the words she spoke was correct. Yes, it did hurt, but not in the way she thought. My wounds were serious. But no one would notice. And I would never heal. These wounds, this hurt…they'll leave marks…scars to remind me that my friend lost control to such an extent…that he sought to injure me.

Another wave of grief and agony came over me as I remembered what happened the night before.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

_It was a normal night in Konoha square, I was strolling around the city during the after. An action I had taken to a while ago. Yet, tonight seemed to be different as if something was going to happen. A chill ran up my spine and I pulled my light windbreaker tightly around my too-thin form_

_I heard a person mumbling and, as was my naturally curious nature, decided to check it out. I walked a little farther ahead and turned right at the corner, constantly wringing my hands, which was my nervous gesture. But when I saw the person standing there, I sighed in relief._

_It was Lee._

"_Lee!?" I waved as he twisted around to face me. I hadn't seen him since our last ANBU mission with the Sai brothers, a few days ago. _

"_Hey…it's Tenten…" His voice sounded slurred. Was he _drunk_?! That…wasn't like my Lee. He staggered towards me in a daze and tripped on a crack in the road, falling on top of me._

_I pushed him off, disgusted by the vile scent of alcohol protruding from his open mouth. "Lee! You're drunk!"_

"_Tell me…" He completely ignored what I'd just said. "What didn't I do for her? I tried to make her happy…I did…so why didn't she…" His voice trailed off._

"_Lee? What are you talking about?" And then it hit me. How could I have been so stupid! Lee had been acting as if he didn't care the whole time. But he did…_

_He could only have been talking about one person. There _was _only one person he could talk about in that way. _

_Sakura._

_I was irritated. What was it with Konoha guys and liking Sakura? What did they see in her? Well…she was really smart….and kind of pretty…and extremely nice, no doubt about that. She was always helping people and smiling. I sighed. Riiight…_that _was the reason._

_I finally spoke, sounding like an insensitive jerk. "Deal with it, Lee. She doesn't like you, she likes Neji, okay?" I spoke slowly and clearly, as if I was talking to a mentally retarded person._

_I didn't notice that Lee's ears had turned red, always a danger sign. He was getting riled up. I was babbling such discouraging things whereas he always was encouraging me in every step of my life. _

_I jumped when Lee started to yell._

"_So you too think I am no good in relationships? After all the things I have tried to do for you, always being there when you needed me most! And you! You can't even talk properly to a person! You cannot even be kind in your words, Tenten. You have no heart!!" I stood rigid, stunned by his truthful words. I felt horrible. I couldn't believe I'd just said that to LEE! My best friend since the first grade! Moreover, I couldn't believe he had given me a reality check._

You have no heart! _I never thought I'd live to hear Lee say that about me. After hearing him call me the 'youthful, benign spirit of Konoha' repeatedly, I had never imagined this._

_Before I knew what happened, Lee had lifted his hand and landed a hard slap across my face. I staggered back, my eyes watering._

"_Unh–– Le––" Be fore I could say another word Lee had grabbed my hand and turned me around to face him._

"_LOOK AT THIS! AND THIS! MY MEMORIES AND HOPES!" He was screaming hysterically in my face. My lower lip trembled as I looked at the wad of papers he'd taken out of his pocket. I took the top-most piece of paper, a picture. Of me._

"_Lee…I…" My voice faltered and I snatched the rest of the papers away. I skimmed through them. They were letters, addressed to me, poems. I read one carefully. It was written in bold ink, so it caught my attention._

I hope for…but woe upon me

I can find the one with whom I was meant to be

Remorseful my soul, restless my plight

My dear, Tenten, you are my light

_I hated myself for the thought that entered my mind. _It's corny…but sweet! _I added on at the last minute. _

"_Lee…this…this is…" I looked up at him, my expression pained for I knew what rejection feels like. I decided to take a detour to the main question. I steadied my shaky resolve. I had to tell him the truth. "Lee. What….Sakura!?_

_He seemed surprised at my outburst and hiccuped slightly. "Huh? Sakura?"_

"_Yes! What about your feelings for her!"_

"_It was non-existent. Tenten, you were the only person who never realised my feelings for you. I felt uncertain…on how you felt. I know that you would refuse me. I didn't want that. So I projected my love to Sakura instead…" He sighed._

_I was blown away by his confession. I took a few shallow breaths and tried to steady my beating heart. He watched me keenly and I braved myself to meet his brown orbs._

"_Lee, I…don't like you…I really don't." I realized how wrong that sounded but when I tried to explain, the look on his face made me clam my mouth shut._

"_You inconsiderate, little bitch!" He grabbed me by the hair and slammed me into the wall opposite of where I had been standing. I collided into the bricks painfully and slid to the floor. I felt the tiniest trickle of blood from my nose._

_I had to remember that Lee was drunk as he can not hold his drinks. He must have drunk about 2 bottles of beer as he wasn't in his usual sober mood. He staggered towards me with a menacing gait that did not suit him. Lee lifted me by the collar of my faded pink top and lifted me to his eye-level._

"_Lee! It's me, Tenten. I'm sorry. I just––I don't know! I wasn't in my right mind. Let go, Lee. You're hurting me."_

_He looked at me, his eyes narrowing maliciously, yet again, unlike him. He slammed me down onto the ground. I used my elbow to break my fall but it only injured me more. I cried out when my elbow made contact with the hard concrete of the sidewalk. The crack of my arm breaking, however, muffled even that._

_He didn't seem to notice my pain. The Lee who could not stand to see one crying was purposely hurting his childhood friend. It must be a dream…no…This was a nightmare. _

_Lee, who was still holding me by my shirt collar, dragged me across the concrete as I futilely thrashed about in an attempt to make him release me. The sidewalk was tearing at my already scratched arms, uncomfortably._

_I wept openly now, my tears blending with the blood that drenched my top. _Lee…what happened?

_At last, the dragging stopped only to be followed by my skull crashing into the wired fence._

_I groaned, my eyes fluttering open to see what he was going to do to me next._

_I saw Lee's silhouette, His chest was heaving and I could hear him panting. I tried to speak but fatigue overwhelmed me. Before my eyes closed, I saw Lee looking at me with hate and spite. _Lee…? _My cheeks felt damp and I realized that it was due to his tears._

_I tried to comfort him but I was too far gone. _

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

I shut my eyes. _I'm sorry, Lee._

We reached the ward where I was to be treated. I was tired of having to lay on the bed uselessly as I felt weak. I sat up on the bed that I had been assigned to, when I felt dizzy.

Tsunade-sama pushed me back down gently and I didn't resist.

"Please, Tenten. Relax for a moment so I could heal you. After that, you can go on in your unruly ways, hm?" She gave me a small, sad smile and suddenly pushed a senbon into my wrist.

I winced at the feeling of the needle entering my skin. "Whaa…" I begun to feel drowsy yet again. "Whaisdis?"

"It's an anesthetic. Rest for now, will ya?" I felt myself nod but I was uncertain on whether I did so or not. All I remember is that I fell into a deep slumber until morning came and went.

«§§§»

I woke up the next day to find that my hand was enveloped by a much larger one. A man's hand to be exact. I looked down at the man and saw who it was. My father figure, Maito Gai, was with me.

"Unh…Sensei. I…who brought me here?" It was the question that had been in my head since the day I'd woken up on the stretcher.

My question seemed to worry him. He answered with a single word. "Lee." He watched me to see how my reaction would be. My chocolate brown eyes widened in confusion and shock as I tried to grasp onto the answer that was given by Gai-sensei.

I tried to string everything together. First, Lee pummeled the crap out of me and tells me that he hates my very guts, and then he brings me to the hospital? It didn't make sense as it had no logic. A migraine begun to make my way from within my head. These thoughts of Lee weren't helping it.

"Really? I-I hadn't seen him all day…so h-how did he find me?" I lied as casually as I could, picking at the bed sheets. I knew that Gai-sensei would be saddened to know that his youthful student had acted in such a heinous way.

Gai-sensei pursed his lips, noticing me pick continuously at the white bed sheets of the hospital bed. He knew I was lying. I had a tendency to pick at anything within reach, in my anxious, lying state.

"Tenten. You're lying." I looked at him and shook my head, ignoring the throbbing in my head that ensued. He ran a hand throw my hair, gently caressing it, his own way of making me calm down. "Your heart rate is getting out of control, calm down, my youthful pupil. Lee had come to me while you were still asleep, so I am sure that you're lying. He told me he was the cause of your pain. He said that he had unintentionally wounded you. I know only part of the story, though. I wish to hear the rest from you, as Lee has made to confine himself at home, coming out only when truly necessary."

"Gomen ne, Gai-sensei, for lying to you. I'll tell you what happened but only if you promise not to hold anything against anyone at the end."

"I promise."

I held out my hand, pinky protruding. He interlocked his larger pinky finger around mine and smiled. I knew he thought it childish, but I honestly did believe in pinky promises.

I opened my mouth, words of truth spilling out as I told him what had happened. At times, I would blush and at times I would choke on my tears that I had failed to retain. By the end of the story, Gai's face was impassive with not a single emotion showing on his usually expressive face. My shoulders shook as I sobbed uncontrollably. I collapsed into his arms, crying my heart out on his shoulder. "Gai-sensei, I hate my life. It sucks. I've lived with sorrow all my life and now so much guilt has been added to that list of emotions. I feel as if these emotions will continue to crush me."

"Shh, youthful one. It's okay. I'll talk to Lee…it's been so long since we had a little chat…"

"NO! I-I mean, that's alright, sensei. I'll talk to him." I tried to sound as nonchalant as possible and I saw my sensei give a small smile at my effort. He was feeling sorry for me, I realized as pity was evident on his face. I sighed and averted my gaze to the window. "When am I getting out of here?"

"Your wounds aren't serious, they will heal overnight. The Hokage is an expert on what she does. Many of your friends came to see you. That kid, Naruto Uzumaki, was nearly in tears, asking the Hokage for an explanation of your condition. He nearly drove her crazy." He laughed, remembering. I was glad for the change to a lighter subject and laughed in earnest. Yes, Naruto could sometimes be a tad bit dramatic when it came to his friends.

"He'll be glad to know you've recovered. As will the rest of your friends." I nodded, knowing who the others were.

I was lost in thought and when I finally broke out of my reverie, I turned to my sensei and noticed that he, too, was in a pensive stature.

"Sensei?" I spoke suddenly, disturbing his trail of thoughts.

"Hmm?"

"Did…did Neji come by at all?"

"No…he didn't. Why do you ask?

My heart sank. "O-oh… No reason, I was just curious."

«§§§»

That very day, I was discharged from the hospital and I rushed out to find Lee as fast as I could.

I made my way into the sunlight, my walk slower than usual as my legs were still weak as I had spent the whole day laying in bed. I looked around, taking in the smell of clean, fresh air. I smiled as two small children ran past me laughing while holding out their wooden katanas. One of them slammed into me and I steadied him, sending the boy running after the others.

"Tenten!" I heard the familiar voice call out my name. I twisted my head around a little too fast and strained my neck as an unwanted creak could be heard. I massaged my neck as the blond-haired ninja ran towards me. Before I knew what was happening, he pulled me into a friendly bear-hug.

"Naruto-kun!" I laughed as I hugged him back. "It's been too long."

"You can say that again! What the heck happened to you though? I was on my way bringing you flowers." He gestured to the flowers he was holding, now slightly bent.

"Oh, Naruto, you didn't have to do that!" I gave him an affable punch on the shoulder.

He gave me one of his famous foxy grins. "I know. I just felt like it." I saw his ears perk up. "Hey! Let's go to Ichiraku for some ramen!"

"Okay. That'll be great."

As we walked off towards the ramen shop, I muttered, "You're paying," which Naruto rewarded me with a smile.

When we reached the ramen shop, we looked around and caught sight of Neji and Sakura, sitting at a table in the corner of the shop. Before I could stop him, Naruto had bounded up to the two and cheerily greeted them. I followed him sullenly, knowing that they'd already spotted me.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" Naruto was blushing.

"Oh, hi, Naruto!...Tenten." She gave me a nod. For the next few minutes, the mood became awkward and tense. I clasped Naruto's arm and half-dragged him to the counter.

"We were here for ramen, remember?" I could feel Neji's eyes on me as I took him away.

"Oh, yeah!" We reached the counter and ordered. "Mizuramen for two."

"Can we…go somewhere else to eat?" I asked him, cringing at the feeling of Neji's stare boring into my back.

Naruto looked at me strangely. "Okay."

We walked out of the shop, slowly consuming our take-out as we found ourselves perched on a tree branch. I didn't notice Sasuke making his way towards us. Or the fact that he blushed when he caught a glimpse of me…

The next thing I know…Lee was walking towards me. Little did I know that it was really Sasuke who had transformed into him.

"Lee!"

It was still Sasuke, so he was acting bashful, keeping his head down. I mistook it for Lee being guilty towards his actions to me previously.

"H-hey Tenten…"

"Bushy brows!" Naruto called out to the so-called Lee.

"N-Naruto?!" I saw as 'Lee's' expression turned horrified and then angry at the sight of Naruto with me.

I watched, wide-eyed, as 'Lee' ran up to the tree and started kicking it, so that the tree fell over, with Naruto in it…

"Aarrgh! The ramen! _TEME!_" Naruto jumped towards 'Lee' and they got into an argument. I sighed, irritated. _He didn't even apologize! _I walked off, unnoticed by the two boys.

«§§§»

As I walked off, alone, I caught a glimpse of a shadow coming at me from my right side. I turned quickly and narrowed my eyes, seeing Lee (A/N: The REAL Lee).

I stormed up to him and stopped directly in front of his larger form. I glared up at him and he looked back, regret burning in his eyes….I slapped him.

"You…baka!" I pushed him back, moving forward as well. He looked at me bewildered. "You meet me and don't even apologize?! Instead you beat up Naruto?!"

He looked confused. "Tenten, what are you talking about? I have not left my room since this morning….I-I could not face you. But what is this nonsense that you are speaking?"

I stared at him. "Oh…I just got played…someone transformed into you… that Lee did seem different…somehow…" I suddenly smiled up at him, disappointed not to see him return it.

"Tenten, my flower, forgive me for my deplorable act––" His gaze faltered, refusing to meet my eyes.

"Lee…I've forgiven you a long time ago. It wasn't you back there, it wasn't." I gave him a sincere smile and he returned it. He suddenly took me into his arms, pulling me into a tight embrace. I hugged him back, awkwardly patting him on the back.

We walked off into the sunset until the fork in the road sent us off into different directions…towards our separate homes…

"You know…I _do _still like you…" Lee sounded hopeful.

I sighed, covering a side of my face with my hand. _What a coincidence..._I used my other hand to push him into a tree and continued to walk, leaving Lee grinning after me like an idiot.

I hope you like this chapter. I was feeling really lazy while writing this, so it's not my best work. DEAL WITH IT! I swear, if anyone tries to virtually beat me up because of the scene with Lee beating up Tenten….I'll…do something...bad… Please review this. I want you guys to enjoy the story and TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF IT…so if you'd be so kind to press that button there…


	3. Gomen nasai

Sorry I haven't updated in such a long while. I've been caught up in so much. Sorry guys. Um. Check in, like, two days or so. I'll have the new chapter up. Promise!

-Subaku No Paine 3


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